Dry fit to glue up

[Renzo]

Here's a pic of the dry fit of my first piece of furniture. Making a table for Christmas for my wife to use for cardmaking (she makes pretty greeting cards).

This is a bit bigger than any glue up i've ever done. Does it make the most sense to glue it all at once? Or first glue up the sides, let it dry, then add the front and rear aprons?

[petersb]

Renzo

For myself, I would glue it up in stages. Sides first and then the fornt and back. I have a tendancy to "rush" the glue up and somehow or another end up making more work for myself. It only takes a couple of hours in the clamps before the pieces can be handled. All four sides can be glued in an evening and ready for the next step the next day.

Nice shop by the way!

[Renzo]

Thanks! That's what I was thinking as well. Then i only have to mess/adjust two glue goints at a time rather than four.

Thanks on the shop comment! At some point i'll have it tidy enough to take a few pics for a shop tour.

Renzo

For myself, I would glue it up in stages. Sides first and then the fornt and back. I have a tendancy to "rush" the glue up and somehow or another end up making more work for myself. It only takes a couple of hours in the clamps before the pieces can be handled. All four sides can be glued in an evening and ready for the next step the next day.

Nice shop by the way!

[nateswoodworks]

Looks good! I would have to agree, smaller glue ups are a lot easier and while the glue dries you can always just start working on the next step so it's not like you have to stop and wait.

Nate

[Vic]

Looks good! I would have to agree, smaller glue ups are a lot easier and while the glue dries you can always just start working on the next step so it's not like you have to stop and wait.

Nate

Agreed!

[Domer]

I have done glue ups in stages and it works well. You have to make sure that when you glue up in stages that things are clamped up square and everything is where it is supposed to be. See below.

If I have a big piece that I am nervous about it remaining square or whatever, I get my wife to help me. With two of us applying the glue and fitting the piece together, we can get a pretty large glue up done all at once. I just feel better about everything going together right and everything being square. It also doesn't hurt to have another pair of eyes looking to make sure everything is where it is supposed to be.

I did one not too long ago where I turned a panel 180 degrees from where it was supposed to be because I didn't pay enough attention when dry fitting it together. If my wife had been helping me, it probably would have been done correctly. She is pretty good at giving me constructive criticism. I don't always take it as such but usually she is right. (Another annoyance). Fortunately it only made the case 1/8th of an inch out of square and I was able to hide it pretty well.

Domer

[A_Vitale]

I would agree with the two stage glue up! I have leaned my lesson that rushing a glue up or dry fit will usually come back to haunt me. Either way the table looks great. I love the long tapers. What do you have planed for the top?

[Renzo]

Thanks!

For the top im using 5" wide maple board planed to 3/4". They're 6" wide but of course require miling and some cleanup. For the edge treatment i was considering a larger chamfer, I think that'd match the tapered legs nicely. But am also considering a 1/2" or 1/4" roundover. Any suggestions?

I would agree with the two stage glue up! I have leaned my lesson that rushing a glue up or dry fit will usually come back to haunt me. Either way the table looks great. I love the long tapers. What do you have planed for the top?